Chapter 5
I’m flying out to Saddle Ridge, and I can’t help the nerves that have hit me on this flight. This is it, the moment of truth.
A few weeks back, Laney came out to attend my prom, and my girlfriend, I should say ex-girlfriend, wasn’t happy. Shawna knew I was taking Laney. I was very transparent with her about my plans to take my best friend. I was a man of my word, and going against the pact I made with Laney was not something I felt comfortable doing.
I hate to say it, but Shawna was never someone I saw forever with, so I felt like spending my prom with Laney wasn’t a huge decision for me. Yes, I had a girlfriend, but like I said, this was something I was honest about when we started dating in January. She said she thought I’d change my mind as we got more serious.
I started dating Shawna after we spent some time paired up as partners for a science project. It was right after winter break, and Laney was dating someone at that time, so I felt like I needed to prepare for her to back out of our prom agreement. The thing was, my heart was never in it with Shawna. As much as I enjoyed hanging out, she and I were complete opposites. So when she got mad that I hadn’t changed my mind about taking Laney to prom, it made me question where did she see this going? I mean, we both graduate soon, and I have plans to travel. I don’t plan on being in New York City much longer.
I met a guy through my brother-in-law who works at a travel magazine. He told me about travel photography, and everything he said fit exactly into what I would want to do as a career. Looking into it further and with the help of this connection through Hudson, I realize this career path is perfect for me.
That being said, I’m off on a new adventure after graduation. I’ll visit with Laney before she heads to Wyoming for college, then I’m off to travel the world. My first stop is Canada, as I have never been there, and the things I’ve researched have inspired me to capture the scenery. Plus, it’s not too far away from home and has an amazing landscape to capture some epic photos.
I need to start building my portfolio. My mom gifted me a nice camera for my eighteenth birthday, and I can’t wait to put it to use. I’ve been taking pictures throughout the city, and I think with proper guidance, I could really perfect this skill. With social media taking off, I’m going to start using that as a platform to showcase my work as well.
Having all these plans, I know a relationship won’t survive my schedule and the distance. The only relationship I have managed to hold on to despite the distance is that with Laney. She’s my pillar, my rock, and I can’t ignore that my love for her is now growing beyond friendship. And to say I didn’t feel even an inkling of that with Shawna just shows that she wasn’t a right fit for me. We almost had sex; I mean, I am a guy after all. But luckily, I saw that it would only complicate things with her. I just broke up with her a week before my prom and to say things are tense when we pass one another down the halls is the biggest understatement.
Last we spoke, Laney said she wasn’t with anyone, so hopefully, both of us being unattached will make for a fun prom. Anything is better than what I experienced at my own. Laney looked beautiful that night, and she was the best companion, especially as someone who doesn’t go to school with my classmates. But Shawna was shooting daggers at my best friend all night. Her immaturity was showing that evening, and it confirmed I had made the right decision to break things off with her. Maybe it was a dick move on my part, but I think I would be a bigger asshole if I had kept stringing her along, knowing I didn’t see a future with her.
I can’t pretend the proposition Laney put on the table last summer wasn’t at the forefront of my thoughts as well. No, I had not slept with anyone, and for some reason, I really didn’t want to. I wanted to save that for Laney just as much as she was saving that experience for me. Now that I knew she was up for it, I wanted it just as much as she did, although my reasons might be centered behind the fact that I love her beyond friendship, and if this is as close as we can get to me showing her that side of my feelings, so be it.
The pilot announces our descent into Nebraska, and my heart accelerates. I’ll be seeing my favorite person in minutes, and the fact we are planning on sharing a special time together this weekend is something that makes me excited but also nervous. I know that we have both had relationships with other people since we made this pact in the summer, but it’s always different with Laney. I feel like everything with Laney has a deeper meaning. I know she sees this as something to check off a list, but for me? I love her deeper than simply our friendship. It’s just something I haven’t confessed because I have a legitimate fear I’ll lose my favorite person as a result of my honesty.
The moment I feel the wheels touch down, I grab my weekender, which I made sure could house a tux for prom without wrinkling it. Luckily, Rick had one that allowed me to lay my suit flat and folded into itself. I make my way through the aisle, and I wish I could push everyone out of the way to get to Laney. I’m itching to see her, and I just saw her a few weeks back.
The moment I walk through the arrivals section of the airport, I see Laney holding up a sign that says, Will you go to Prom with me? I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. The minute I get close enough, I throw my bag beside me and pull her into a hug, picking her up in the process. Laney isn’t short, about five-nine, but I’m six-three, so I’ve got some height over her.
“Hi, Bean. I missed you.” I give her a kiss on the cheek, put her down, and look at her face. Shit, I love her more than all the peonies in this world. I just wish I had the balls to tell her, but the fear mounts each time I think about it because having Laney in my life is necessary, much like my next breath. I can”t compromise what we’ve built.
“I missed you too. I’m so happy you’re here.” She waits for me to pick up my bag and she holds onto the opposite hand, our fingers interlacing. I know anyone looking at us probably assumes we are romantically involved because, in all senses of the word, we are. I show Laney all the best parts of my heart, and I believe she shows me hers.
As we are walking to the car, Laney is telling me all about who we are sitting at prom with and what the theme is. I can tell she is vibrating with joy about this weekend, and I can’t help but share the sentiment. When she left New York after my own prom, I could tell Shawna’s behavior bothered her. I tried to reassure her that Shawna’s childish attitude was uncalled for, and I really hoped my words sunk in. That reminds me, I have to talk to her about my prom.
“Listen, I wanted to apologize again for Shawna at prom a few weeks back,” I begin as we both buckle up in her Jeep. Anytime I’m around Laney, she hands me her keys, and it’s assumed I will drive instead of her. I turn the key and hear the car come to life. “I am so embarrassed by her behavior.”
Laney swings her head, her eyes wide. “Oh, Grant, her attitude isn’t your fault. She’s a spoiled brat.” She covers her mouth as if she didn’t mean to say something bad about my ex. Laney may have her opinions about the girls I’ve dated, but she is usually pretty quiet about them.
“Did I realize I was dating a selfish princess after what I witnessed at prom? Yes, and I”m embarrassed I ever went out with someone like that after I saw the way she behaved. I still can’t get over how she treated you.” I back out of the parking spot and make my way through the parking garage.
Laney’s playing with the ends of her hair, the red strands always pulling my attention because she simply immerses me in her movements no matter where we are.
“Yeah, well, I feel bad. I mean, she was pretty upset I was your date. I sort of caused that with this promise we made last summer. And I get it; she liked you, and I was in the way of that.” She’s biting her bottom lip, worrying about how her request may have fueled this rift between my ex-girlfriend and me.
“Listen, Bean, you know I love you. I will always choose you over anyone else. That’s guaranteed. But Shawna didn’t show me her best side that night, and I don’t see forever with her, so that night only solidified my decision to break up with her when I did.”
Laney is pensive and nodding even though I’m not talking anymore. “Okay, well, I’m sorry you experienced all that with her. But I’m not going to pretend I’m not relieved you’re not together anymore. She was awful, Grant.” She sighs at the end.
Without telling me, I knew Laney did not care for my last girlfriend. Actually, she hasn’t liked any girlfriends of mine that she has met. I guess the feeling is mutual because her past boyfriends are little shits if you ask me.
“So, does this mean we are still on for everything we promised each other last summer?” Laney’s voice is so small, I can’t help but laugh at her when she’s like this.
“Yes, Laney, if you’re still wanting to, I do.” I hope I didn’t sound too eager when I said that. If it were up to me, I’d pull over and start that part of our pact right now. Although that would be a dick move.
“Oh, okay, cool. So, like, you haven’t, you know, crossed that off your list yet?” She’s so shy when it comes to sex or anything relating to it. It’s hard not to find this side of Laney cute.
“Um, no, Bean. I have not. My virginity is yours to take.” I wink and bring my focus back to the road ahead of me.
“Great. Well, I reserved a room at the hotel where prom is being held. I, um, actually got it booked for three p.m. tomorrow, so we can head there early,” she says, still wrapping her hair around her finger. I can tell she’s still nervous about this conversation.
“I thought we were riding with Jessica and Alan?”
“Yeah, that was the plan, but I thought we could get ready at my house and then leave early. I’m on the prom committee, so it’s not weird that I’d need to be at the venue early. My parents just don’t need to I’m going over early for other reasons.”
“Laney, are you okay with this? I mean, I don’t want you to feel forced to do this with me just because we planned it months ago.”
“WHAT? NO!” I look over at her. She raised her voice a bit there, and she sounded like a seagull trying to get attention. What was that?
“What I mean is, no, I really would like to do that with you. I’m just super nervous. I mean, I’ve done stuff with other guys, but this feels like such a big deal.”
Just her mention of other guys makes me grip the steering wheel even tighter. The fact another man has touched what I feel is mine makes me feel like a possessive prick, but here we are. Nothing makes sense when it’s Laney and me because we’ve always set our own rules.
“Okay, well, we can take it slow and see where it takes us.” I give her a smile, even though my heart is racing.
This is happening. Laney and I are going to have sex, and I know nothing will ever be the same for me afterward.
I’m waiting for Laney downstairs, my tux feeling like it’s cutting off my circulation. We are leaving a little later than planned, as Laney’s hair appointment got pushed a bit due to every teen getting ready for prom tonight in this small town. We still have time to get our things situated in the room before heading down to the ballroom.
I’m looking down at my watch and see it’s four o’clock. The event starts at six p.m., and with this delay, we may not have time to do anything before the dance begins. Laney has told her parents we are all sharing a suite together as not to make things extra awkward between all of us.
I hear her steps coming down the stairs, and I make my way to the foyer, corsage in hand. My hands are sweating because I know that Laney will look beautiful no matter what she’s wearing. But I also know that my love for her will grow beyond what it currently is after tonight is behind us. I can feel my heart expanding, and I haven’t even touched her romantically.
The moment she comes into view, I nearly faint. Fuck. She looks gorgeous. She’s wearing a green satin dress, which clings to her breasts, trailing down to her tiny waist, down to her hips, while it flows out at her legs. It’s got thin straps tying behind her neck, which are what I’ve heard my sister refer to as a halter, and her hair is down with large curls framing her face. I can see her makeup is minimal, which I prefer because my Laney looks beautiful without anything covering her natural beauty. Her smile is infectious as she looks at me.
Once she gets all the way down the stairs, she does a little twirl, showing off her exposed back, making me itch to touch her. Shit, her ass looks incredible in that dress too. Every guy is going to be looking at her tonight, and I’m going to have to control myself so I don’t lose my temper with any of them. The fact I am privileged enough to be by her side tonight is not something I will take for granted.
“You look spectacular, Lane. The most beautiful person I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Her smile beams even brighter, and it’s hard not to see that I was put on this earth to receive this type of love from her and only her. My heart soars when I’m around her, and I wish the stars aligned for us to be together beyond friendship.
“Thanks, Grantie. You don’t look too bad yourself.” She walks over to me and places her hands on my lapels as if she’s removing lint while she moves her hands across my shoulders. “You’re so handsome.” She winks at me, and I nearly crumble. I want to kiss her so bad right now, but it takes all my might to reign it in.
Instead, I lean down and place a little kiss on her cheek. Then I whisper, “I’m the luckiest guy tonight because you’re fucking perfect.” I see goosebumps break out down her arm from my words, and I can’t help the smile that follows along my features. At least I’m not the only one feeling this pull.
“Okay, you two. Get outside so we can take some photos. There’s shade next to the house. I need to get photos to your mom, Grant. Let’s go,” Jana calls from the kitchen. The moment she rounds the corner and sees us standing near the front door, she stops in her tracks.
“Oh my goodness. Hold that thought. You two look incredible right where you are. I need to take a photo here first. Grant, put your arm around Laney. Lane, get closer.” I hear Laney grumble, but she complies with her mother’s request.
Once we take about a thousand pictures inside, we move outside, where each second of putting the corsage and boutonniere on is filmed and photographed. Kirk has been put in charge of filming the entire exchange, and I can’t wait to watch the footage later, listening to his little comments about how his wife is micromanaging the simplest task. I hold back laughter when watching Kirk and Jana’s exchange. It’s making this experience take my mind off my nerves a bit. From the way Laney is smiling brightly, I think it’s doing the same for her.
After picture number two thousand, we finally head off to the hotel where prom will be held. We grab our room key and take our belongings up to get things situated. I can feel the pressure mounting as I think about what tonight signifies. Now that we are running on the later side, I know we have to leave our things and head back down.
The drive to the hotel where the prom is held takes less than fifteen minutes. The moment we put everything in the room, Laney looks over at me. I fully take her in and continue to count my blessings that the universe brought us together before we ever understood the meaning of our connection.
“I was wondering if you’d be up for something before heading downstairs.” She looks up at me, fiddling with the ring I gifted her last year.
“Sure, what were you thinking?” I have no idea if she’s going to ask us to pre-party or what. Maybe she’s more nervous than I thought, and she needs to find a way to relax.
She walks over to me and grabs my face and pulls me down. Our lips crash, and I feel whole with her in my arms. When we kiss, it feels right in some way I didn’t know was possible. I’ve kissed her before, but now that we’re older, it means more. Even though I’ve kissed other girls since we did this years ago, it still has never come close to the insurmountable love I feel for Laney.
As we kiss, I begin to walk her toward the bed, the back of her knees meeting the edge. She sits on the bed, pulling me down with her. Soon, she’s completely prone below me, and I can’t keep my hands off her. She must be feeling my cock pressed up against her stomach. I ache to be inside her, and without any experience in this department, I am certain it will feel right.
I begin to trail kisses down her neck, biting her earlobe while I continue my descent.
“Grant, I want you. I want this. Now.”
I pull my face away and look up at her. All I see is love in her eyes. We’re friends, best friends, but for me, this will be the most important night of my life. It’s my shot to show the woman I love how I feel about her with my body. I know it might hurt for her, but I hope despite that, she feels the love that courses through my body for her with each beat of my heart.
“Are you sure before the prom? People will be arriving soon.”
“Grant, this was never about prom. This was about us. I want all my special moments to be shared with you.”
I can’t argue with that. I want the same. I continue to kiss her, our outfits be damned. We already took so many photos, whatever comes after this is just going to have to do.
She begins to move her hands into my jacket, pulling it off. Even over the fabric of my clothes, I can feel her fingers trembling.
I finally shrug my arms out of the sleeves, and she makes quick progress with the buttons of the shirt. I pull at the bowtie, and soon, my chest is exposed. She runs her nails down my skin, and it feels like burn marks are left as she moves her fingers further south. Damn it. I keep my eyes on hers because if I start to look down, I think I’m going to embarrass myself.
Soon, I’m moving my hands down her neck, letting my fingers trail along her collarbone. I move lower and I hesitate as my palm moves toward her breast. Shit, she fits in my palm perfectly. She grabs her bottom lip with her upper teeth, and I can see desire and nerves swimming through her gaze.
“I need this dress off of you,” I whisper in her ear.
She gives me a slight nod and sits up halfway to pull on the zipper. I help her, and then she shimmies out of the clothes and is only left with her lacy green thong. Her breasts are exposed in front of me, and I feel like all the oxygen has been pulled out of my lungs.
“Fuck, Laney, you are perfection.”
Her lips are swollen from kissing me, and I can’t help but move slowly toward her, hoping my heartbeat isn’t loud enough for her to hear. As much as I see her anticipating my next move, I see her breaths quicken as nerves are consuming her just as much.
Once I’m close enough, I bring my lips to hers, softly at first, but then I open to her and I can feel us deepen our connection.
I feel her hands slowly move toward my back and then move down to my ass. The moment she squeezes my backside, I hear her chuckle. I break the kiss and look at her.
“Bean, that’s not doing much for my ego.”
She beams at me and I know she means no harm with her laughter.
“I’m sorry, Grant. This is all so new to me. Plus, it’s you. I mean, you’ve literally been my best friend since the beginning of time.” She tosses her hands in the air and something happens to all the nerves I felt and I’m able to simply relax.
I smile back at her because no matter how you look at this, it’s different for us both. I begin to chuckle and that just spears her on to laugh even more. I take a seat next to her and now she’s got her unzipped dress halfway covering her chest while I pull my fingers through my hair.
“Lane, we don’t have to do this. You know that, right?”
She’s looking down and messing with a piece of fabric from the inside seam. She nods, but she doesn’t look up at me.
I bring my fingers to her chin and move her gaze over to me. Once her eyes meet mine, all is right in the world again.
“Bean, really, we don’t have to do this. I promise, any second I spend with you is the biggest gift.”
Right then, I see her smile fade and I don’t know if what I said has upset her or not. Soon her hand lets go of the fabric of the dress and she brings her hand to move the hair away from my eyes.
“It’s in moments like these I realize why I love you, Grant. The things you say, it’s exactly what I’d expect my Prince Charming to say to me when I feel the chaos of this world take over.”
Before I have time to process what she just said, she’s bringing her lips to mine, the connection instantly bringing my hands to cup her cheeks and deepen the kiss.
The connection we share is something so many long for in their entire lifetime. I found it without even looking.
She opens to me and whatever hesitation she had before, she lost it as she moves to sit on my lap while my hands move to cradle her hips. She soon breaks away and whispers, “Grant, this isn’t about losing something with you. It’s about gaining something more with you. I want this, but most of all, I want it with you.”
I move my left hand to move hair behind her ear, my gaze locking with hers. “No matter where I am, I will always love you.”
Truer words have never been spoken when I say how much I love her. She may never know the extent of my love for her, because I may just be a best friend to her. But for me, she’s got a grip on my heart and I don’t think anyone will ever hold it the way she does.
She returns to kissing me and I hold on to her as I stand up and turn around so that I can lay her back on the bed. I gently place her back on the mattress, fumbling slightly as I honestly have no idea what I’m doing right now. That’s the thing with Laney though, I don’t care if I seem clueless because she isn’t here to judge me.
I bring my hand onto the rest of her dress and look at her for approval before pulling it down. She gives me a slight nod and I begin to remove the fabric for a second time, this time letting it fall to the ground as my best friend lays there, fumbling to bring her hands around her midsection and her chest.
“Don’t be embarrassed with me, Lane. Any moment in my life where I think of beauty, it always comes back to you. Right now is no different.”
I bring my shaky hand up to her collar bone and move it down, tentatively gauging how she will react. She looks down in wonderment and my hand moves along her skin, goosebumps lining the trail as I allow my fingers to touch the most magnificent person I’ve ever met.
I bring my lips to her ear and whisper, “Let me love you tonight, Laney. Let me show you how you make me feel.”
She breathes out a faint, “Yes,” and I begin to train kisses down her neck and across her chest. I try to come off as someone that knows what he’s doing, but I’m well aware I don’t have the finesse of a person that’s done this before.
When I get down to her bellybutton, she giggles a bit and I know I’m tickling her with my breath against her sensitive skin.
I stand up and begin to unbuckle my belt. She takes this as a cue to remove her underwear, shimming the material off while staying on the bed. We quickly get rid of the rest of our clothing and I’m standing there in awe of her, while her eyes are bulging out of their sockets.
“Wow! Um, Grant, there is no way that is fitting. No way!” Her curiosity is now replaced with panic as she looks down at my dick.
“Laney, it will fit. I don’t think it will feel that good this time around though. I mean, that’s what I found out when I searched on the internet.” Shit. That last part wasn’t supposed to slip.
“You looked it up?” She looks like she’s on the verge of laughter and bewilderment.
“Well, yeah. I mean, I already knew it wasn’t going to be comfortable for you, but I didn’t want to come here completely clueless. So I looked it up online to see if there was anything I could do to make it, you know, better for you.” I scratch at the back of my head, this conversation taking a turn from sexy to educational.
“That’s sweet of you,” her cheeks pink in embarrassment.
“Um, do you want to keep going?” Why am I acting so damn awkward?
“Yeah, I’d like that. Come here.”
I bring my body toward her, my hands coming up to cage her head and my lower body getting pretty damn close to hers. Shit.
I stand right back up and fumble to find my pants on the ground next to me. I feel the foil wrapper and I pull it out like a prize in a Cracker Jacks box.
Laney realizes what I’m doing and smiles wide, while I slowly open the condom and slowly begin to sheath myself. I look over and find her watching me in amazement, yet again.
I move myself back over her, this time my heart is pounding, knowing I’m about to have sex with my best friend. I begin kissing her again and she moves her arms around my neck, bringing my body down on hers.
I pull my head up so I can look at her. Without words, as if she can read my mind, she nods, answering a question I didn’t even have to say aloud.
I bring my hand around my cock and bring it to her entrance. Soon the head of my dick is at her entrance, and just rubbing on her is enough to feel fucking fantastic.
“I’ll go slow. I know it won’t be comfortable, but I will try not to hurt you. Okay?” I hate seeing her in pain, so this will gut me, but I hope it won’t be the worst feeling for her.
“Sure. Okay.” She opens her legs up for me, and I’m right there. I start to inch into her, and just having the tip in is enough to make me want to see fireworks. Shit, how am I going to last when just this much already feels intoxicating? .
I slowly start to push myself further, my eyes on Laney’s the entire time. I’m breathing through my nose to control myself from coming on the spot. I see her eyebrows furrow as I move further into her.
“Breathe, Laney. I got you,” I tell her, seeing her tense up. I think being the most relaxed possible might be the best idea right now for this to be more enjoyable for her.
She nods and starts to take deeper breaths in and out. I continue until I’m fully inside my best friend, and that’s right when I hear her intake of breath. My head falls into the crook of her neck, my composure at the brink of destruction.
“Fuck, Laney. You’re so tight. Are you okay?” I can’t help the words coming out of my mouth. She nods, but I can tell she’s trying to stay relaxed.
In this moment, I realize she’s utter perfection. I know that no matter what, I will never feel this type of connection with anyone else. She was made for me.
I start to move slowly, watching how my movements might be hurting her. At first, she’s pretty still, allowing me to move, but not moving with me. Then, I feel her tension dissipate, and she starts to move her hips, meeting me thrust for thrust.
It feels like we move for an eternity, but I know it’s not that long at all. I won’t last much more than this. It feels too good, and I wish I could go on forever, but I was a fucking virgin, so my stamina isn’t quite where I’d like it to be. Nothing prepared me for this feeling.
“Shit, Laney. I’m going to come. Are you close?” I can’t help but ask. I don’t want to be a complete dick. Her needs matter.
“Maybe move your thumb and play with my clit,” she says and I fumble a bit until I move my hand to touch that sensitive nub, causing her to moan. That’s all I need to spear me on. I flick at her sensitive center, and soon enough, she’s panting. She begins to come, and I can feel her squeezing my dick like a vice.
Before long, I have that euphoric feeling creeping up my spine. It’s taking over as I start to pump myself in and out of her. Shit, I’m chasing a high, and that high is Laney. I feel an explosion of stars behind my eyes, and I’m screaming things I know I will never remember. It’s beyond amazing. I have never felt something this incredible before.
I bury my head in the crook of her neck again, both of us panting. My hips slow, and I begin to plant kisses along her neck and on her jaw. I pull my head back and see the smile across her face.
“That was perfect, Grant. Thank you for being everything my soul has ever needed.” She brings her head off the mattress and kisses me. I kiss her with all I have and hope she feels my love radiating through our touch.
I begin to move my body off her, slowly pulling out of her. I’m not sure what I expected, but she didn’t bleed much. I get up, knowing I need to get her a washcloth.
“Hold on, let me grab you something to clean up.” Laney looks down just then, falling back down onto the mattress.
“Ugh, that’s so embarrassing!” she complains.
“No, it’s not Laney. It’s fucking normal. I’m not freaked out by it,” I say as I’m soaking a washcloth with warm water from the bathroom sink after disposing of the condom in the wastebasket.
I come back to the bed and hand her the washcloth. I don’t quite know what she wants me to do to make her feel less embarrassed. She jumps up and runs to the restroom, closing the door behind her.
I move around the room and start putting my clothes on, seeing that prom is already underway. This is Laney’s show, so if we’re late, I think she’s fine with it. I know I am.
I have my slacks, along with my shirt, unbuttoned when Laney walks out. She has no clothes on still, but she wrapped a towel around her. She’s back to giving me that shy smile, and I can’t have her feeling embarrassed about what we just shared.
“Hey. Look at me.” I bring my fingers under her chin and bring her eyes to meet mine. “I love you. What we just did is the most special moment I’ve ever shared with someone. Please know that I’m honored to share it with you.” I kiss her lips and then her nose, a small smile taking over my face. She returns the smile, and all is right in the world. “Also, if you want to do that again later, I wouldn’t be mad about that request.”
That causes her to laugh, and I feel my own smile widen and take over my face. Her smile and her happiness make my heart grow with love for her.
“Okay, Casanova, I’ll keep that in mind.” She gives me her radiant smile, grabs her dress and underwear, and saunters back into the bathroom.
Thirty minutes later, we are out the door. Her hair was in a bit of a nest of a situation, so she had to work her magic and redo the curls she had earlier with the curling iron she brought with her. To me, she could have a literal nest in her hair, and I would find Laney beautiful.
I grab her hand, give her a quick kiss, and we leave the hotel room. Each step toward prom feels like a step in a new direction. The only question that floats over me is, will this change everything, making our bond stronger or sever it completely?